WTF? That only happened ONCE in Vonnegut's novels, God Bless You, Mr Rosewater. Other than that, his characters in his *novels* were all pathetic losers. They were still great books, but I didn't root for anyone.

His short stories are another matter. Harrison Bergeron was a direct parody of Ayn Rand, but I still liked the character.

Logged

" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

WTF? That only happened ONCE in Vonnegut's novels, God Bless You, Mr Rosewater. Other than that, his characters in his *novels* were all pathetic losers. They were still great books, but I didn't root for anyone.

His short stories are another matter. Harrison Bergeron was a direct parody of Ayn Rand, but I still liked the character.

Those tips ARE for short stories.

Logged

“I’m guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk,” Charles Wick said. “It was very complicated.”

WTF? That only happened ONCE in Vonnegut's novels, God Bless You, Mr Rosewater. Other than that, his characters in his *novels* were all pathetic losers. They were still great books, but I didn't root for anyone.

His short stories are another matter. Harrison Bergeron was a direct parody of Ayn Rand, but I still liked the character.

Those tips ARE for short stories.

I didn't read that part. There was nobody to root for.

Logged

" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

WTF? That only happened ONCE in Vonnegut's novels, God Bless You, Mr Rosewater. Other than that, his characters in his *novels* were all pathetic losers. They were still great books, but I didn't root for anyone.

His short stories are another matter. Harrison Bergeron was a direct parody of Ayn Rand, but I still liked the character.

Those tips ARE for short stories.

I didn't read that part. There was nobody to root for.

Logged

“I’m guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk,” Charles Wick said. “It was very complicated.”

WTF? That only happened ONCE in Vonnegut's novels, God Bless You, Mr Rosewater. Other than that, his characters in his *novels* were all pathetic losers. They were still great books, but I didn't root for anyone.

His short stories are another matter. Harrison Bergeron was a direct parody of Ayn Rand, but I still liked the character.

You think Harrison himself is a parody of Ayn Rand? Or the story itself?

I definitely got the impression that Vonnegut agreed with the character of Harrison, myself... maybe I missed the point.

Logged

“Soon all of us will have special names” — Professor Brian O’Blivion

"Now's not the time to get silly, so wear your big boots and jump on the garbage clowns." — Bob Dylan?

"Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes" — Walt Whitman

WTF? That only happened ONCE in Vonnegut's novels, God Bless You, Mr Rosewater. Other than that, his characters in his *novels* were all pathetic losers. They were still great books, but I didn't root for anyone.

His short stories are another matter. Harrison Bergeron was a direct parody of Ayn Rand, but I still liked the character.

You think Harrison himself is a parody of Ayn Rand? Or the story itself?

I definitely got the impression that Vonnegut agreed with the character of Harrison, myself... maybe I missed the point.

The story itself. Bergeron is a sympathetic character, but the world he lives in is DEFINITELY a parody of Rand's jabberings.

Logged

" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

hmm, you may be on to something here... I never thought about it that way... I always took it as a jab at the "feel goods" who try to make sure everyone is equal and nobody's feelings are ever hurt.

Looks like I got some thinkin' to do! This is gonna hurt.

The totally over-the-top enforced mediocrity was a hallmark of Rand's storylines. Harrison Bergeron was just an endgame version of that (where you had to be physically and mentally, rather than just economically, handicapped).

Logged

" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

Naw. Almost nobody I know that's read the story has made the connection.

Logged

" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

Ok, protip on how to kill a conversation... bring up Ayn Rand being amusing in ANY sense.

Noted.

(Crickets chirp)

Logged

If someone does the “Fine, you’re right, I’m clearly a terrible person, I’m Satan, I’m the worst person alive, I should just die” thing in response to criticism of their harmful behavior, they are trying to manipulate people and flip the situation around so that they look like a victim.

As a neuroscientist I have to disagree with the perception that anyone is doing mathematical modeling of cognitive intelligence, yet; intelligence as an economist defines it, yes, but economists are worlds away from actual cognition.

Although it is outside the purview of this organization to offer personal advice, we can say -- without assuming any liability -- that previous experience indicates (and recent market studies corroborate) that given the present condition of the marketplace, continuing with your present course of action is likely to result in substantial in